San Antonio will host a massive religious gathering just days after the Final Four crowds leave town.

The event, called the Golden Jubilee, will bring a gathering of 35,000 Ismaili Muslims and their spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan to the Alamodome and the Convention Center starting Friday.

"His Highness" is considered a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, and his visits with large gatherings of his congregation are rare.

"He hasn't visited the congregation collectively in about 21 years. This is a major and religious occasion to meet the spiritual leader," said Dr. Mansoor N. Saleh of Georgia, who's a member of communications council for the U.S. Ismaili community.

Event coordinators first looked into having their event at Reliant Park in Houston, but the center was unavailable. So they came to San Antonio a few weeks ago looking for space. A lot of space.

"The city benefits from having the Alamodome readily available," said Michael Sawaya, the city's director of convention, sports and entertainment facilities. "The economic impact of this is going to be like an Alamo Bowl. We were only given several weeks to plan this when normally a group this size will plan for four years."

City officials say this is the largest three-day event San Antonio has seen since HemisFair in 1968. It's estimated the group could spend about $37 million while here.

Sawaya said even though visitors here for religious gatherings typically don't spend as much as business travelers, this group is affluent.

But they didn't need as much hotel space — they have a block of 3,000 rooms — because many Texas Ismailis will be staying with family and friends in San Antonio during the event.

The three-day event will include a visit on April 13 from the Aga Khan — the spiritual leader of the Ismailis, which is a Shiite branch of Islam.
Born in 1936 in Geneva, the Aga Khan spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, and graduated from Harvard in 1959.

(Bloomberg News file photo)
Prince Karim Aga Khan, shown in 2005, leads 12 million to 15 million Ismaili Muslims, with an estimated 1,500 to 1,700 in San Antonio.

The Aga Khan leads a community of 12 million to 15 million Ismaili Muslims living in some 25 countries, according to the official Web site of the Ismaili community.

During the Golden Jubilee, which began July 11, 2007, and will continue until July 11, 2008, the Aga Khan will visit numerous countries, including stops in the U.S.

The Aga Khan also is making visits in April to Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago. The San Antonio visit is considered a private event for Texas Ismailis.

Amin Makhani, an owner of an Asian grocery store in Northeast San Antonio, said he has cousins coming from Houston and Dallas just to attend the gathering.

"You can say he's like a pope. This is the best opportunity for our people to see him," said Makhani, who estimated there are about 1,500 to 1,700 Ismailis in San Antonio.

Makhani's family is so excited about the visit they have been celebrating for the last 15 days, he added.

Another person who's happy about the Aga Khan's arrival is Greg Kowalski, president and owner of The RK Group, a local catering company.

RK Group is taking on the mammoth task of serving more than 200,000 meals in 60 hours. This is one of the largest events the firm has had to handle on such short notice.

"This piece of business came about suddenly and to amass this much food and supplies to feed roughly 200,000 meals in a matter of 60 hours is really an incredible logistic opportunity," Kowalski said.

Local hotel officials said despite the short notice, the group is coming at a great time.

"It's a weekend piece of business, and it's short term. It's a nice group to have right after the Final Four," said Scott Lane, the Grand Hyatt director of sales and marketing, who said the event will use a couple of hundred rooms at the new luxury hotel.

While the ultimate event features Aga Khan, the closed festivities also include traditional dancing, youth activities, poetry and live devotional music.

Express-News Business Writer San Antonio will host a massive religious gathering just days after the Final Four crowds leave town. The event, called the Golden Jubilee, will bring a gathering of 35,000 Ismaili Muslims and their spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan to the Alamodome and the Convention Center starting Friday.

'His Highness' is considered a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, and his visits with large gatherings of his congregation are rare.

'He hasn't visited the congregation collectively in about 21 years. This is a major and religious occasion to meet the spiritual leader,' said Dr. Mansoor N. Saleh of Georgia, who's a member of communications council for the U.S. Ismaili community.

Event coordinators first looked into having their event at Reliant Park in Houston, but the center was unavailable. So they came to San Antonio a few weeks ago looking for space. A lot of space.

'The city benefits from having the Alamodome readily available,' said Michael Sawaya, the city's director of convention, sports and entertainment facilities. 'The economic impact of this is going to be like an Alamo Bowl. We were only given several weeks to plan this when normally a group this size will plan for four years.'

City officials say this is the largest three-day event San Antonio has seen since HemisFair in 1968. It's estimated the group could spend about $37 million while here.

Sawaya said even though visitors here for religious gatherings typically don't spend as much as business travelers, this group is affluent.
But they didn't need as much hotel space — they have a block of 3,000 rooms — because many Texas Ismailis will be staying with family and friends in San Antonio during the event.

The three-day event will include a visit on April 13 from the Aga Khan — the spiritual leader of the Ismailis, which is a Shiite branch of Islam.
Born in 1936 in Geneva, the Aga Khan spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, and graduated from Harvard in 1959.

Prince Karim Aga Khan, shown in 2005, leads 12 million to 15 million Ismaili Muslims, with an estimated 1,500 to 1,700 in San Antonio.
The Aga Khan leads a community of 12 million to 15 million Ismaili Muslims living in some 25 countries, according to the official Web site of the Ismaili community.

During the Golden Jubilee, which began July 11, 2007, and will continue until July 11, 2008, the Aga Khan will visit numerous countries, including stops in the U.S.

The Aga Khan also is making visits in April to Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago. The San Antonio visit is considered a private event for Texas Ismailis.

Amin Makhani, an owner of an Asian grocery store in Northeast San Antonio, said he has cousins from Houston and Dallas just to attend the gathering.

'You can say he's like a pope. This is the best opportunity for our people to see him,' said Makhani, who estimated there are about 1,500 to 1,700 Ismailis in San Antonio.

Makhani's family is so excited about the visit they have been celebrating for the last 15 days, he added.

Another person who's happy about the Aga Khan's arrival is Greg Kowalski, president and owner of The RK Group, a local catering company.
RK Group is taking on the mammoth task of serving more than 200,000 meals in 60 hours. This is one of the largest events the firm has had to handle on such short notice.

'This piece of business came about suddenly and to amass this much food and supplies to feed roughly 200,000 meals in a matter of 60 hours is really an incredible logistic opportunity,' Kowalski said.
Local hotel officials said despite the short notice, the group is coming at a great time.

'It's a weekend piece of business, and it's short term. It's a nice group to have right after the Final Four,' said Scott Lane, the Grand Hyatt director of sales and marketing, who said the event will use a couple of hundred rooms at the new luxury hotel.

While the ultimate event features Aga Khan, the closed festivities also include traditional dancing, youth activities, poetry and live devotional music.

For those travelling for the Darbars, there may be major problems. Please be aware and plan accordingly...

April 10, 2008
American Airlines Cancels 900 More Flights
By JEFF BAILEY

CHICAGO — American Airlines, updating its effort to get the company’s fleet of 300 MD-80 planes flying again, said it had canceled 922 flights so far on Thursday and was making progress inspecting and fixing wiring bundles in the planes’ wheel wells.

The airline said 80 planes were back flying by Thursday morning, compared with 60 in service late Wednesday. By 4 p.m. Thursday, American said it expected to have 120 back in service, or 40 percent of the fleet, which is the airline’s domestic work horse.

And by Friday night, American said it expected to have 180 in service with the entire 300 planes operating by Saturday night.

Dallas/Fort Worth and O’Hare International in Chicago, American’s two biggest hubs, were calmer this morning, apparently a sign the airline and media coverage had informed many people that their flights were canceled, saving them a trip to the airport. The airline canceled 269 flights out of Dallas-Fort Worth and 123 at O’Hare airport in Chicago on Thursday. The airline had canceled a total of 460 flights on Tuesday and 1,094 flights on Wednesday, stranding thousands of travelers and affecting the plans of more than 100,000 people.

Shares of the AMR Corporation, the parent of American Airlines, which closed down $1.15 on Wednesday at $9.17, were up 50 cents Thursday at noon.

In addition to American, Alaska Airlines said it had returned 7 of its 9 MD-80 jetliners to service Thursday after adjusting the spacing of ties, tape and clamps that hold together wiring bundles and attach them to the inside of wheel wells on the planes.

Work is still being done an on eighth MD-80 and the ninth is out of service for maintenance unrelated to wiring bundles.

Alaska canceled 11 flights Thursday, after canceling a total of 31 flights over Tuesday and Wednesday. The airline is in the process of phasing out the MD-80s and converting to an all-Boeing 737 fleet. It has 115 large jets in all.

Travelers are having difficulty finding seats on other flights, either on American or on rival carriers, because the airline industry is running more than 80 percent full these days. Phone lines into the American reservation system were overburdened for much of Wednesday and the ticket counters at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and at O’Hare International in Chicago, the carrier’s two main hubs, were swarmed. The airline posted information about how to obtain compensation for canceled flights on its Web site, www.aa.com.

American is the latest in a series of airlines whose operations have been disrupted by inspection and maintenance issues in recent weeks, and air travelers may face continued chaos in the months to come.

The groundings at airlines like American, Alaska, Delta and Southwest have resulted from a broader round of inspections, ordered by the F.A.A., to determine whether the airlines have complied with past directives to check airplane structures, wires, electronics and other components.

A second wave of audits began on March 30, and will continue through June 30. Laura J. Brown, a spokeswoman for the agency, said it could not rule out further groundings. “We don’t know,” she said. “We find what we find.”

The problems with American’s MD-80s surfaced on Monday, when the agency found that in nine of the jets, the wiring in the wheel wells had not been secured in compliance with a previous order from the agency. American decided the following afternoon that all its MD-80s had to be rechecked.

Yoree Koh, 25, arrived at La Guardia on Wednesday to find her American flight to Chicago had been canceled, meaning she will miss an orientation at Northwestern University. “It basically ruined my week,” she said.

Ms. Koh said she was advised by an American employee to return at 6 a.m. Thursday to join the standby list for a 12:40 p.m. flight. “I’m not holding my breath,” Ms. Koh said.

The aviation agency and the airlines are responding, in part, to heightened scrutiny by Congress, led by Representative James L. Oberstar, Democrat of Minnesota and chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, who is a longtime activist on aviation safety.

Congress’s stance toward the industry has shifted from benevolence after the terrorist attacks in 2001 to a more combative approach after a string of passenger disruptions and recent revelations about lax oversight.

Mr. Oberstar said on Wednesday that his criticism was “an effort to get them back on course, to being the gold standard in the world for aviation safety oversight and maintenance oversight, and to re-establish a safety mind-set and culture with the agency, instead of this coddling of the industry.”

There has not been a crash of a big jet in the United States since an American Airlines plane broke up in flight over Queens in November 2001 — a point repeatedly made by federal administrators and airline executives as proof that the air system is safe.

That attitude could be dangerous, however, Mr. Oberstar said. “Time passes, and ‘Oh, we haven’t had an accident, and now we can be cozy and play patty-cake with the airlines,’ ” he said, describing what he fears could be the attitude at the aviation agency. “As soon as you do that, you lose the enforcement mind-set, and you lose the sense of the margin of safety.”

Travelers are left to grapple with the twin — and now conflicting — desires to have an aviation system that not only gets them to their destinations on schedule but also is safe and quick to respond to concerns.

On Thursday, a Senate aviation subcommittee met to discuss safety concerns, one week after a hearing by a House subcommittee into the failure by Southwest to stop flying 40 planes that had not been properly inspected.

In the hearings, Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the aviation subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee, criticized the F.A.A. and Nicholas Sabatini, the agency official who ordered the Southwest audits.

“It’s catastrophic, economically,” Mr. Rockefeller said, “and it’s an embarrassment to the nation. I can’t imagine what people in Indonesia are thinking about this, or Japan.”

The F.A.A. has recommended a $10.4 million fine against Southwest, whose co-founder, Herbert D. Kelleher, and chief executive, Gary C. Kelly, were questioned for hours by the subcommittee.

The prospect of such fines and of damage to public confidence is the motivation behind the airlines’ widespread flight cancellations, industry experts said Wednesday.

“The overreaction is unreal,” said a senior executive at one major airline, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity of the situation.

Mr. Oberstar’s criticism coincides with greater scrutiny of a number of regulators and the industries they oversee, including Wall Street firms.

“There’s always a concern that the regulator is too kind, or too controlled by the industry that they regulate,” said L. Nick Lacey, the former director of flight standards at the F.A.A., who is now with Morten, Beyer & Agnew, an aviation consulting firm in Arlington, Va.

Mr. Sabatini and two other F.A.A. officials received a scathing letter last week from Mr. Oberstar, contending that they had tried to mislead Congress about the agency’s procedures and that the agency was too accommodating to the airline industry.

Former F.A.A. officials say there has long been concern over the warmth between agency inspectors and the airlines they are charged to investigate. On one hand, the flying public can be helped if inspectors are thoroughly familiar with an airline’s record. But such familiarity can also cause inspectors to give an airline some breaks, one official said.

The problems at American Airlines this week have left some passengers stranded at airports far from both their homes and their destinations because connecting flights had been canceled.

Evelyn Allen, a Durham, N.C., school bus driver, was trying to return home Tuesday after a visit with relatives in Lake Charles, La. But upon arriving at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, she learned her flight to Raleigh-Durham had been canceled.

American paid for a hotel room, but she could not retrieve her checked luggage and still did not have a flight home on Wednesday, said Ms. Allen, 37. “Maybe I’ll be home by the weekend,” she said.

Mr. Lacey, the former head of flight standards at the aviation administration, said he was not surprised to see Congress step up its scrutiny. He said the situation reminded him of the oversight efforts in 1999 and 2000, when a spike in consumer complaints prompted members of Congress to push for a passengers’ bill of rights.

“It’s a recurring story,” Mr. Lacey said.

Contributing reporting were Micheline Maynard from Detroit, Matthew L. Wald from Washington, Colin Moynihan from New York and Marina Trahan Martinez from Dallas.

Had you read or heard that the governor of Texas was to break bread with a Muslim Imam only 10 years ago, you might have thought it highly improbable. It’s a new Texas, however, and a new world.

Gov. Rick Perry is scheduled to welcome the Aga Khan, a religious leader with a global reach and immense wealth with activities that include a formal dinner on Saturday. The Imam is celebrating 50 years as leader of the world’s Shia Imam Ismaili Muslims with a world tour, and Texas is the first stop on the U.S. leg of it. The current Aga Khan, 71, has led the community since 1957.

His followers number 12 million to 16 million worldwide, including 15,000 to 20,000 in Texas who are engaged in a wide variety of businesses and professions. They don’t generally attract a lot of attention, but the visit by the Aga Khan and the recognition by the state’s top elected official will change that.

The community led by the Aga Khan values self-reliance, tolerance and human worth. He is founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network - a group of nine private non-denominational development agencies, with an annual budget of $350 million.

The immense wealth of the Aga Khan has stirred controversy in the past, including from other Muslims who have disassociated themselves from the Ismailis.

The first of the Ismailis arrived in Texas 40 or so years ago and are concentrated in the state’s metropolitan areas: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio.

The visit to Texas is clearly a message that the Aga Khan wants to pierce stereotypes of Muslims that have grown since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by extremist Muslims in the United States. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan stoke suspicions of Muslims in this country. Lamenting that climate of suspicion, the Aga Khan - who was educated at Harvard - has described the religious conflict “as a clash of ignorance.”

Though the visit is more symbol than substance to official Texas, the participation by Perry sends a positive message to both the Ismailis and their fellow Texans. It’s a message of understanding and tolerance that we would all be wise to heed: Peace be with all of us.

AUSTIN — The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of 20 million Ismaili Muslims around the world, was expected to arrive in Texas on Friday for an eight-day U.S. visit which includes meetings with officials and adherents.
Stops in Georgia, Illinois and California are also scheduled.

The visit was planned as part of the Shia Ismaili Muslim commemoration of the Golden Jubilee, which marks the Aga Khan's 50th year as imam of the community. Tens of thousands of Ismaili Muslims live in Texas.

On Saturday, Gov. Rick Perry and the Aga Khan were expected to attend the signing of a student and professor exchange agreement between the University of Texas and Aga Khan University, which has campuses in Pakistan and other countries.

The governor was scheduled to host a private dinner Saturday night and then a fireworks show near Austin for the Aga Khan, a Harvard-educated businessman and philanthropist who is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

Perry and the Aga Khan became friends nearly a decade ago with the spiritual leader. Their friendship resulted in a University of Texas program that exposes state teachers to Muslim history and culture. It's funded by the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the world's largest private system of development agencies.

The Aga Khan was scheduled to attend an event Saturday at the Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch and Pavilion in Buda and speak in San Antonio on Sunday.

Express-News Aisha Dharani was only 5 years old and remembers little about the visit by the spiritual leader of her faith to Los Angeles, where she was growing up in the 1980s.

Dharani, now 30 and a San Antonio businesswoman, never imagined being in an audience again with the imam, Prince Karim Khan. Especially not in the Alamo City.

After all, the Shiite Ismaili Muslim community here is relatively small compared with other places, such as Houston, New York and Chicago. Some estimate the number of local Ismailis to be about 1,000 or so, nothing near the more than 15,000 who live in Houston.

"The probability of it even happening here, it's unthought-of," Dharani said.

So imagine her surprise when it was announced three weeks ago that the imam, Aga Khan IV — a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad — was coming to San Antonio as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations marking his 50th anniversary as the Ismaili spiritual leader.

Glossary Mohammad: Seventh-century Arab religious and political leader. Considered by Muslims to be God's final prophet, who received the culmination of the message revealed through prophets who came before him, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus.
Islam: The Muslim religion, of which Mohammad is the final prophet and founder.
Koran: Book of divine guidance and primary source of every Muslim's faith and practice.
Muslim: One who adheres to Islam.
Shiites: The Shiites form the smaller of the two major branches of Islam; the Sunni form the other, larger branch. The Shiites view Ali, Mohammad's son-in-law, as the rightful successor of Mohammad. The Sunni consider Abu Bakr, a prominent disciple, to be his successor.
Ismaili: Those belonging to the Shiite Ismaili Muslim faith, the second largest of the Shiite sects. The Ismaili follow Shiite doctrine but believe the office of imam should have gone to the descendant of Jafar's elder son Ismail (died A.D. 760) when Jafar, the sixth imam, died in A.D. 765.
Imam: Muslim spiritual leader. For Ismailis, it's the Aga Khan. The current Ismaili imam was born Prince Karim Khan, who's descended from Mohammad through Mohammad's youngest daughter, Fatima, and her husband, Ali, the prophet's cousin. Prince Karim is the 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili.
Darbar: Occasion when the imam gives an audience to his followers.
Jamatkhana: Place where Ismailis gather to worship.
Jubilee: A celebration commemorating a major anniversary of the imam.
Sources: World Book Encyclopedia, theismaili.org, amaana.org and ismaili.us

The Aga Khan was to have kicked off his U.S. celebration tour in Houston, but organizers said because of unavailable space at convention centers there, they had to relocate the Golden Jubilee event to San Antonio.
More than 30,000 Ismailis from across the U.S. and the world are expected to attend the private, three-day celebrations. Today and Saturday, the event is at the Alamodome and Sunday it's at the Convention Center

The local celebrations culminate Sunday, the day of the darbar, when the Aga Khan is scheduled to have an audience with his followers.

"We never really dreamt that such a small Jamat (congregation) would host so many people," Dharani said.

Waheeda Kara, a San Antonio real estate agent and a spokeswoman for the local Ismaili community, said ever since the announcement, thousands of volunteers have been working to prepare for the celebrations.

She said they had only 21 days to complete the job.
Dharani said local Ismailis are doing their part to ensure a successful Golden Jubilee for the Aga Khan.

"People have come from all over to help out, which is truly remarkable," she said.
Nazim Karim traveled from Los Angeles to help.
"Obviously for us, it's a very significant event," said Karim, who also edits the Ismaili, a national magazine. "It's historic because in our 1,400-year history, there have only been eight imams, spiritual leaders, who have celebrated their 50th anniversary as imams."

The Aga Khan's last visit to Texas was in June 2002 when he spoke at the inauguration of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the facility is a $10 million house of worship and a community center in Sugar Land. It's one of the largest Ismaili Muslim centers in the United States and serves as the national headquarters for Aga Khan's social service and community networks in this country.

Aga Kahn IV was only 20 years old when he became imam in 1957. He was in his final year at Harvard University, where he went on to receive a bachelor's degree with honors in Islamic history in 1959.

To those outside the religion, he's considered a fabulously wealthy individual with a particular fondness for raising fine thoroughbreds and racing speedboats. He's also the stepson of actress Rita Hayworth, who became his father's second wife.

Ismailis view the Aga Kahn as an infallible imam who's not only a spiritual leader, but guides them on temporal matters as well. They also stress his philanthropic work and that of the Aga Khan Development Network, considered one of the world's largest private, international agencies working to improve living conditions for people in Third World countries.
"It's been his responsibility to take care of two things, and we need to be very clear about what the role of imam is, which is different from the general Christian perception of a spiritual leader," Karim said. "In Islam, a Muslim leader is not just a leader who guides in spiritual matters, he is responsible of the material welfare of his community. So he's a leader spiritually as well as temporally."

Karim said that when Ismailis gather to celebrate the jubilee, they will reaffirm their faith and strengthen ties within their own community, as well as reflect on the many accomplishments of the Aga Khan.

"He's guided our community through all kinds of political and economic turmoil, helped with material welfare, and, at the same time, helped us with our faith and to maintain our traditions," Karim said.
Other U.S. cities hosting Golden Jubilee events are Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Chicago and Los Angeles, where Dharani remembers him visiting, also hosted Silver Jubilee celebrations for the Aga Khan in 1983.

Nadir Meharali knows he has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of a rare religious event.

Today, the Dallas man is heading to San Antonio to join as many as 10,000 other North Texas Shia Ismaili Muslims who are taking part in the Golden Jubilee, a time to celebrate the 50th year of leadership by their spiritual guide, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV.

"I think practically everyone from here is going," Meharali said.
As many as 35,000 Shia Ismaili Muslims from across the state may be there to honor Aga Khan, a descendant of the prophet Muhammad, who succeeded his grandfather in 1957 at age 20. He is the 49th hereditary leader of the Shia Ismailis.

Once he reached his 50th year of leadership, Aga Khan, who lives in France, began traveling to different countries for the yearlong celebration, which began July 11, 2007.

Aga Khan tries to meet with state leaders during his stops and talk about initiatives not only to increase access to healthcare and education but also about ways to reduce poverty and find peace.

This month, he plans to visit four states -- Texas, California, Illinois and Georgia.

He is scheduled to arrive in Austin today.

On Saturday, Gov. Rick Perry will meet with Aga Khan and hold a special ceremony at the state Capitol to sign a memorandum of understanding between the University of Texas and Aga Khan University, pledging to work together to showcase educational environments, according to information released about the Golden Jubilee.

Saturday night, Perry and his wife, Anita, will host a private gala dinner at an exotic game preserve in Austin to celebrate Aga Khan's 50 years of service, according to the governor's office.

By Sunday, Aga Khan will meet with those in the Shia Ismaili Muslim community who gathered at the convention center and Alamodome in San Antonio, during the private celebration that will include speeches, dances, poetry and celebration.

"This is a first in our lifetimes," Meharali said. "There are a lot of festivities ... and a tremendous amount of cooking."

Prince Karim Aga Kahn IV
Who he is

Aga Khan became the spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims on July 11, 1957, at 20. He succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III.

The 49th hereditary imam, or leader, he is a descendant of the prophet Muhammad and his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat Ali, who was the first spiritual leader of the Muslim community.

Born in Geneva in 1936, he grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, and graduated from Harvard in 1959 with an honors degree in Islamic history.

The community he leads

The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, known as the Ismailis, are part of the Shiite branch of Islam.

They believe that after the prophet's death, Hazrat Ali became the spiritual leader, known as an imam. That leadership continues through his descendants.

There are about 15 million Ismaili Muslims living in about 25 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe, as well as central and South Asia, East Africa and the Middle East.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry plans to host a private dinner followed by fireworks near Austin on Saturday to honor the Aga Khan, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad celebrating his 50th year as the spiritual leader of a Muslim sect.

Earlier in the day, the leaders are expected to be on hand as the University of Texas signs an agreement with Aga Khan University, which has campuses in Pakistan and other countries, fostering student and teacher exchanges between the institutions.

Jack Plunkett/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rick Perry Governor has been friends with Aga Khan for years.

Jan Bauer/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Aga Khan Harvard grad is descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

Khan, a wealthy, Harvard-educated businessman and philanthropist, leads the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, an offshoot of the Shiite branch of Islam, claiming 12 million to 16 million believers in 25 countries including tens of thousands in Texas.

Perry, 58, and Khan, 71, struck up an improbable friendship nearly a decade ago, resulting in a UT program exposing schoolteachers to Muslim beliefs and culture.
The jet-setting Khan grew up in Kenya and lives in France and owns hundreds of race horses. Perry was born and raised in West Texas before earning a degree at Texas A&M University.

In 2000, Perry, then lieutenant governor, visited the Aga Khan in Paris during a family trip to Europe.

Two years later, Perry and the Aga Khan visited during the opening of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center built in Sugar Land near Houston and at an Austin dinner hosted by Perry.

The Aga Khan Development Network subsequently funded the UT program, which has introduced 80 Texas schoolteachers to Muslim history and culture; 15 teachers have toured the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

In 2006, Perry visited a Pakistan relief center financed by the network. And last year, Perry looked at an unfinished Ismaili center in Dubai that a travel mate described as an architectural and cultural wonder that the Aga Khan is expected to replicate, to a degree, in Houston.

Eric Bearse, an outside adviser to Perry, said Saturday's "golden jubilee" event at the Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch and Pavilion in Buda is "an opportunity for His Highness to be in the presence of a vibrant Ismaili community in Texas as well as to be with his friend, the governor."

Perry and his wife, Anita, will dine with the religious leader at a downtown hotel tonight.

Shahed Amanullah of Austin, editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com, said the Aga Khan has a solid reputation among Muslims because of his good works, partly through the development network. The network spends $350 million a year on economic, social and cultural projects concentrated in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

"There are a lot of non-Ismaili Muslims around the world who wish they had a leader that is as organized and as visionary," Amanullah said

Perry, who is a member of a Methodist church, and the Aga Khan emphasize the need for the Western world to understand Eastern values and vice versa. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Aga Khan said differences between Muslim-dominated countries and the Christian-dominant West don't reflect the clash of civilizations so much as clashes of ignorance.

Neither Perry's office nor members of the Ismaili community said who is paying for Saturday's invitation-only party nor did they divulge who will attend it. Perry spokesman Robert Black said it would not be financed by the state or from economic development funds.
About 20,000 to 30,000 people are expected to hear the Aga Khan on Sunday in San Antonio. His U.S. schedule also includes stops in Georgia, Illinois and California.

Noor Jehan, whose family owns an Austin dry-cleaning business, intends to spend the weekend in San Antonio for the jubilee. "It's a big, big occasion for us," Jehan said.

Asked if Ismaili Muslims liken the Aga Khan's standing to the stature of the pope for Catholics, Jehan said. "He's not a pope, who's elected by cardinals. The Aga Khan is not elected by anybody. ... He is a very special leader."

Jehan was referring to the Aga Khan becoming Imam or spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims in July 1957, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III, a former president of the League of Nations.

April 10th 2008 - His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims arrives in Austin, Texas tomorrow, April 11th 2008 for an eight-day visit to the United States. The Aga Khan will visit Texas, California, Illinois and Georgia.

During meetings with US state and city officials the Aga Khan is expected to discuss the work of the institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network – one of the world’s largest private system of development agencies. The discussions will also explore ways in which the core competencies of the AKDN in education, economic development, health care, culture, and social development, together with the experience of the members of the Ismaili community in the United States could further enhance their contribution to American society.

On April 18, His Highness the Aga Khan will deliver the Peterson Lecture on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB). IB education programs, currently offered at over 900 schools in the USA and over 2200 schools world wide, are offered at the Aga Khan Academies, an integrated network of residential schools currently planned in 14 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central and South Asia.

Leveraging collaborative partnerships with international academic institutions, including college preparatory schools such as Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and Shule Schloss, Salem in Germany, the Aga Khan Academies are dedicated to offering talented girls and boys, regardless of socio-economic background, education and leadership development at the highest international standards of excellence.

During his visit in the United States, the Aga Khan will also meet with members of the Ismaili Muslim community. The Shia Ismaili Muslims are an ethnically and culturally diverse community whose members reside in over 25 countries. The Aga Khan’s visit to the U.S. is scheduled as part of the Ismaili community’s commemoration of his Golden Jubilee - 50th year as Imam of the community. His Highness the Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, as Imam of the Ismaili Muslims in 1957.

Likewise, I wonder what gift or gifts some 200 guests will take home. When the Aga Khan visited Austin in 2002, I’m told, dinner guests ended up with small sterling silver boxes adorned with appropriate seals.

Someone did provide me with a copy of the gala invitation. Notable point: It’s non-transferable.

An Austin reader, meanwhile, suggests that nobody dwell on the Aga Khan being a descendant of the prophet Mohammad, though, of course, that’s the key factor in the businessman and philanthropist serving as the Imam of Ismaili Muslims.

Peter Flagg Maxson writes: “The genealogist in me is compelled to point out that the Aga Khan is also a grandson of the John Reginald Lopes Yarde-Buller, 3rd Baron Churston, of Churston Ferrers and Lupton, in the County of Devon. Furthermore, his father, playboy Prince Ali Khan, was the son of Aga Khan III and Cleope Teresa “Ginetta” Magliano, a dancer with the Ballet Opera of Monte Carlo.

“So his Persian ancestry is limited to one grandparent. The mother (of Prince Rahim Khan, the Aga Khan’s eldest son and heir) …was an Englishwoman, Sally, Lady James Crichton-Stewart, so the Middle Eastern connection will be weaker still. The Aga Khan’s stepmother was actress Rita Hayworth and his stepfather Loel Guinness of the brewing family.” (Mr. Guinness was married to the Aga Khan’s mother before her marriage to his father.)

Finally, this is probably the space to re-kill a rumor that proved strong enough after the Aga Khan visited Gov. Perry in Austin in 2002 to draw attention in London. At the time, the story percolated that the Aga Khan’s son and heir, Prince Rahim, then 31, was engaged to marry the governor’s daughter, then 15. That prospect was rapidly discounted by Nigel Dempster, a Fleet Street columnist.

In The Daily Mail of July 4, 2002, Dempster went on to write that Perry’s “only daughter, Sydney, is still at school, but it could yet prove an intriguing union.”

Nothing was true or came true about the speculation, Perry’s office and members of the Texas Ismaili Muslim community said this week.

Wonder what the Aga Khan thinks lately? National Public Radio caught up to him in September 2006. Chase the interview here.

On Thursday, April 17, 2008 Atlanta will welcome His Highness Prince Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of 15 million Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. The Aga Khan, at the invitation of Governor Purdue, will visit Atlanta as a part of four city visit he is undertaking to celebrate his Golden Jubilee, the 50th year as the Imam. He will be in Atlanta for three days following his visits to San Antonio, Los Angeles and Chicago. His visit will witness the gathering of over 25,000 of his followers from over 30 countries. The first day of his visit will be dedicated to private visit with his followers at GICC.

Who is the Aga Khan and who are the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims? Designated by some as Islam's Quiet Revolutionary, His Highness the Aga Khan is the 49th Imam of the Shia Imami Muslims who belong to the Shia branch of Islam, a community of 15 million residing in United States, Canada as well as Central and South Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe and Australia.

In common with other Shia Muslims, the Ismailis believe that after the Prophet's death, Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, became the first Imam, spiritual leader of Shia Muslims and that his spiritual leadership of the community has continued thereafter by hereditary succession. Succession to Imamat is by designation by the current Imam. Under the Ismaili tradition the Imam has the absolute right to appoint his successor from amongst his male progeny.

His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan is the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. He was born in Geneva, Switzerland on December 13, 1936. He spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, attended Le Rosey School in Switzerland and graduated from Harvard University in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Islamic History. On July 11, 1957, at the age of 20, he was appointed the 49th Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.

Since assuming his office fifty years ago he has dedicated his life to spiritual and economic welfare of his followers as well as the Muslims the world over. He has continually expressed his concerns about Muslims, particularly in the face of challenges the Muslims face in today's environment. He represents the lone voice of moderation and understanding in a world that is hostile to Muslims. He continues to emphasize the view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith and one that practices compassion and tolerance of other faiths.

Under his guidance Ismailis have developed an ethos of self-reliance, unity and common identity. The community has a well defined institutional framework the world over to look after the welfare of its members as well as the communities they live in, and to build capacity for a just society.

The Aga Khan's concern about the well being of fellow Muslims has led to the evolution of the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of complementary institutions working for the common good of humanity in the fields of architecture, education, health, economy and private sector enterprise development.

The Commemoration of His Highness the Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee began on July 11, 2007 and will continue until July 11, 2008. His Highness will pay official visit to some 35 countries, meet with government leaders and set direction for the future for his followers.

Who then are the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims? Ismailis, as they are known have been in Georgia since the early 1970's and now number almost 15,000 strong in and around the city of Atlanta. Most came with little or no capital but given the opportunity have succeeded far beyond anyone's expectations. A gas station, a convenience store or a fast food restaurant that you visit in Georgia is more often than not owned and operated by an Ismaili. Rather than maintaining a separate identity they have become an integral part of the community.

The Ismailis are a community of ethnically and culturally diverse people living in over 30 different countries. They are united, however, in their allegiance to their Imam, His Highness Prince Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the community and a direct descendant of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).

The Ismailis belong to the Shia branch of Islam, the other being the Sunni branch, which is the predominant branch in the Muslims world. The Vatican recently announced that on a world wide basis there are now more Muslims than Catholics in the world. Qur'an defines a Muslim as one who submits to the will of God. Muslims in America belong to over 50 different ethnicities and nationalities and mirror the diverse face of the nation. They all recite the Shahada, "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is the last and final Prophet of Allah". Muslims believe that the Qur'an represents the culmination of the message that had been revealed through other Prophets of Abrahamic tradition before Muhammad, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus, all of whom Muslims revere as Prophets of Allah.

As Ismailis we are enjoined to live by the values and ethics of Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims which include values of peace, of generosity, of harmony, of philanthropy and of caring for the aged and the infirm and the weakest in society. In the Shia tradition of Islam, the Imam has mandated that the followers safeguard the individual's right to personal intellectual search and to give practical expression to the ethical vision of society that the Islam inspires.

And yes, I am a Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim and a follower of His Highness the Aga Khan. I hope you all will join us in extending a warm Georgia welcome to the Aga Khan.

By CHRISTOPHER QUINN <cquinn@ajc.com>
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/12/08

Avoiding the paparazzi won't be a problem for the Aga Khan when he dines at the Governors Mansion Friday.

The lack of photographic gadflies in Atlanta will be a break for the man
born Karim al-Hussaini, one of the world's premiere philanthropists and
businessmen who gets mentioned in the social pages of European newspapers.
<http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/stories/2008/04/11/agakhan_0412_02.html>
JOHN GILES/AP file/CTR
(ENLARGE)<http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/stories/2008/04/11/agakhan_0412_02.html>
The Aga Khan, right, shows his delight with jockey Mick Kinane, left, after
his horse Azamour won the Prince of Wales Stakes on June 15, 2005.
LIVING
*Latest Headlines: *

- At 81, an elderly woman begins journey to new
life<http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/stories/2008/04/11/pittsburgh1.html>

Though he is not as well known here as billionaires such as Bill Gates, the
Aga Khan has a cachet no American will ever have.

He traces his descent from the Prophet Mohammed.

Thanks to his high-living father, the 71-year-old also once called actress
Rita Hayworth his stepmother.

He is a man of other seeming contradictions in Western eyes.

His interpretation of the Quran, Islam's holy book, guides the 15 million
Ismaili Muslims who follow him. But strict Muslims from other groups frown
upon his stables of race horses on which people gamble.

He is deferred to by Ismailis as if he were a medieval prince, but he is a
force for modernization and pluralism in Islam.

He is fabulously rich but runs one of the world's largest private
development networks focusing on the poor.

This socially conspicuous but very private man arrives in Georgia Thursday.

He is visiting Ismailis around the world to celebrate his 50th anniversary
as imam, a hereditary title conferred on him by his grandfather.

He will also make time to chat with people from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention about cooperating with some of his Middle Eastern and south Asian medical facilities to keep an eye on infectious and chronic
diseases.

Friday, he dines with Perdue and about 75 guests in his honor.

"He has the sort of head of state equivalence when he meets with people,
just as the Dalai Lama has head of state equivalence. We are talking about someone who, if you will, is kind of a prince or lord and leader of this group," said Gordon Newby, professor of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies at Emory University.

The Ismailis are one of several minority offshoots of Shiites, one of the
two major branches of Islam.

Westerners know Shia Muslims as those who control the government in Iran and as the religious order of Sheik Muqtada al-Sadr, the glowering Iraqi power broker whose militias often clash with American soldiers.

But the Ismailis know what it is to clash with other Muslims, who have
persecuted them in the past.

Because of that, and because of their community's emphasis on education and its entrepreneurial spirit they have dispersed around the globe. Ismaili
students arrived in Georgia in the 1960s and 1970s planting the seeds from which the community has grown. There are about 5,000 in Georgia.

Ismailis pay the Aga Khan a tithe of their money every year, and he in turn uses the money to support his development network. He also inherited the family fortune, which includes global business interests.

The personal worth of the man, who lives in France and has British
citizenship, is a closely held information, but his works and interests are
evident in Africa and south Asia, where his family roots lie.

He mixes business with philanthropy, providing jobs and infrastructure to
poor parts of the world. His widely diversified business interests include
dams, power plants, communications and manufacturing. They finance micro loans of less than $100 and control banks and insurance companies that hold billions in assets. There are hundreds of schools and two universities, and hundreds of health clinics, and cultural centers. He has helped preserve and restore millions of dollars worth of culturally important historic sites.

He has said in rare interviews that he is building the infrastructure that
is the foundation for countries' successes.

Vartan Gregorian, the president of New York's Carnegie Corporation, has
known the Aga Khan for 30 years.

"He is not only a spiritual leader, but he sets the tone as a kind of
constructive bridge builder between East and West," Gregorian said by phone.

The Aga Khan encourages his followers to participate in the cultures where
they find themselves. He embraces change and the best of modernism, such as science, education for women and interfaith dialogue, he said.

In Atlanta, Ismaili youth help coordinate the annual Partnership Walk, which raises money for Third World relief. It attracted about 7,000 participants last year. They volunteer at charities such as MedShare International in Decatur and Habitat for Humanity.

Newby said, "You don't hear about him a lot, but those who do know him find him to be someone who is working steadily and quietly for peace and for making the world a better place."

*ISMAILI ISLAM*

There are an estimated 15 million Ismailis worldwide out of more than 1
billion Muslims. They take their name and divide with other Muslims over an eighth-century disagreement over religious leadership. They are the
followers of Ismail bin Jafar, whose descendants now hold the title Aga
Khan, referred to by followers as His Highness.

The Aga Khan's family roots lie in Iran, but the family fled to Pakistan and
India in the 1840s after political troubles.

Ismailis believe in more esoteric, layered meanings rather than literal
translations of the Quran, Islam's holy book. The Aga Khan, called the imam (religious leader) of the time, is the final authority on interpretation and religious questions.

Part of Ismailis' religious duty as defined by the Aga Khan is allegiance to
and participation in the country they live in, along with self-reliance,
education and charity.

Ismailis meet, as do other Muslims, on Friday for religious services.
Non-Ismailis may not participate because of religious requirements of ritual purity. A distinctive part of their ceremonies includes ginans, which are poetic songs and recitations of spiritual wisdom and theology.

There are differences with other branches of Islam, such as praying three
times a day rather than the five times required by mainstream Muslims.

THE AGA KHAN:

€ ’µ 1959 graduate of Harvard with a degree in Islamic history.

€ ’µ 49th Ismaili imam (religious leader) descended from Muhammad.

€ ’µ The Ismaili community once weighed his grandfather, the preceding Aga
Khan, and gave him his weight in diamonds, reported to be 243 pounds.

THE AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK:

€ ’µ Owns stakes in 90 companies worldwide.

€ ’µ Employs more than 30,000 people and produces annual revenues of more than
$1.5 billion.

€ ’µ Established a $58 million endowment at Harvard and Massachusetts Institute
of Technology to promote and preserve Islamic architecture.
*U.S. AGA KHAN FOUNDATION

*€ ’µ Nonprofit working in relief, education and development.€ ’µ Nonprofit
working in relief, education and development.

€ ’µ Collected $38,986,474 in donations and $14,645,583 in grants.

€ ’µ Held $115,041,902 in total assets in 2005.
Sources: Aga Khan Development Network, federal documents and media reports.
http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/stories/2008/04/11/AgaKhan_0412.html
Friday, Aga Khan begins his weekend visit in Texas. Gov. Rick Perry is
hosting the visit by the leader of a Muslim sect. Khan is the leader of the
Shia Ismaili muslims, and believers said he is a descendant of the prophet
Mohammad.

He'll be signing an agreement with the University of Texas to help foster
teacher/student exchanges with universities bearing his name.

****
*Aga Khan visit to United States to draw 100,000 in four States
*

San Antonio, Los Angeles,Chicago and Atlanta will host a massive religious
gathering of Ismaili Muslims.The event, called the Golden Jubilee, will
bring a gathering of nearly 100,000 followers of Aga Khan in four venues
shown below starting second week of April, 2008.He will also meet Governors
and top officials of four states during his visit. "His Highness" is
considered a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, and his visits with
large gatherings of his congregation are rare........

"He hasn't visited the congregation collectively in about 21 years. This is
a major and religious occasion to meet the spiritual leader," said Dr.
Mansoor N. Saleh of Georgia, who's a member of communications council for
the U.S. Ismaili community.

* UT President William Powers Jr. and President Firoz Rasul of Aga Khan University sign a Memorandum of Understanding as H. H. Aga Khan and Gov. Rick Perry look on. The memorandum, signed Saturday at the state Capitol, resolves to strengthen the collaboration between the two institutions.

Media Credit: Caleb Miller
UT President William Powers Jr. and President Firoz Rasul of Aga Khan University sign a Memorandum of Understanding as H. H. Aga Khan and Gov. Rick Perry look on. The memorandum, signed Saturday at the state Capitol, resolves to strengthen the collaboration between the two institutions.

UT signed an agreement Saturday at the state Capitol with Aga Khan University.

This weekend, Gov. Rick Perry hosted the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, part of the Shiite branch of Islam and descendent of the Prophet Muhammad. The agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding, was signed by UT President William Powers and President Firoz Rasul of the Aga Khan University in the presence of Perry and the Aga Khan.

"It's a very general agreement with the university," said Richard Flores, liberal arts associate dean for academic affairs. "UT has these agreements with lots of exchange partners. The exchange is for faculty and staff if they are interested down the road."

Flores said the agreement was being handled primarily by the governor's office. Perry and the Aga Khan became friends years ago and facilitated the relationship between the universities, he said.

The Aga Khan University was founded by the Aga Khan in 1983. It is an international university with campuses in Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Syria, Egypt and the United Kingdom, according to the school's Web site.

Gail Minault, a UT history professor, said the group of Muslims that follow the Aga Khan are well known in trade and commerce. They are a fairly well-off group of people who often do charity work all over the world and are very involved in education, Minault said.

"Naturally, the university is pretty well funded," Minault said. "It is involved in medical education, engineering and technical education, but also in teaching about Islam, so sort of cultural education as well. The Aga Khan is a good guy. He's a wealthy man, but he wants to spend his wealth to benefit not just Muslims, but the world at large."

Shahina Virani, an education junior, is a follower of the Aga Khan. Virani said she has been anticipating the leader's trip to Texas for a long time, since the signing of the agreement coincides with the 50th year of the Aga Khan's guidance to the sect. Virani and her family helped plan the leader's visit by aiding in logistics, such as registration for the Golden Jubilee Dinner that was hosted Saturday night.

She said the agreement between UT and the Aga Khan University will be beneficial to all students, not just the Islamic ones.

"I know there are a lot of stereotypes out there, and people still have the perception that people from Islamic countries are bad from past experiences," Virani said. "It will make people realize that Muslim people are not bad. It will make people see that the faith isn't bad and that just because one person is bad, does not mean everyone is."

A statement from the governor's office said he would meet late this morning with Prince Karim al Husseini, the Aga Khan IV, in recognition of his golden jubilee, marking his 50th anniversary as Imam of the Ismailis.

The 49th Aga Khan traces his ancestry to the Prophet Mohamed through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali, the first Shia Imam. His responsibilities include interpreting the faith for his followers, who live throughout the world, including the United States.

A billionaire British subject and Harvard graduate, the 71-year-old Aga Khan is a celebrated philanthropist who has been an advocate for the elimination of global poverty, the advancement of women and cooperation among people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds.

He heads the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the world's largest private economic development agencies, which focuses on advancement in Asia and Africa.

His eight-day U.S. visit, which includes stops in Georgia, Illinois and California, began in Texas Friday.

The Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather as the 49th hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims in July 1957. He was selected by his grandfather over his father and his uncle on grounds that, given the advent of nuclear power, the position needed a young man with

* Story Highlights
* Aga Khan is spiritual leader of 20 million Ismaili Muslims around world
* His trip to U.S., other Ismaili communities marks 50 years as spiritual leader
* Followers consider him the final authority on interpreting Quran
* Next Article in U.S. »

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(CNN) -- The leaders of three world religions will be visiting the United States this week, and although the media spotlight is focused on Pope Benedict XVI and the Dalai Lama, thousands of Ismaili Muslims are celebrating a rare U.S. tour by the Aga Khan.
art.aga.khan.afp.gi.jpg

The Aga Khan says a "clash of ignorance" has led to friction between Islam and the West.

The Aga Khan doesn't exactly fit the image that may be expected for the spiritual leader of 20 million Ismaili Muslims across the world; he usually wears a suit and tie.

But his followers see him as the final authority on interpreting the Quran. One one Muslim scholar said that in that regard, "he is more powerful than the pope."

The Aga Khan, 71, arrived Friday in Austin, Texas, where he met with Gov. Rick Perry and signed a memorandum with the University of Texas on behalf of his Aga Khan University.

The two schools agreed to share research and cooperate in what was described as "a move towards narrowing the gap between the West and Islam."

Aga Khan University is an international University with teaching sites in eight countries: Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Syria, Egypt and the United Kingdom.

The agenda for the Aga Khan's first U.S. tour in 20 years includes stops in Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and Atlanta, Georgia; places he described as having "particular importance to the Ismaili Community over the last half century." Video Watch the Aga Khan's arrival in the U.S. »
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His trip to the United States and to other Ismaili communities around the world is in celebration of his "Golden Jubilee" -- which actually fell last year -- marking 50 years as the spiritual leader.

"It's not very often that the Ismaili community gets this opportunity," said Saloni Firasta Vastani, a volunteer community leader in Atlanta.

The Aga Khan "has a worldly responsibility in addition to spiritual," Vastani explained. And that is why the centerpiece of his role is his $150 million nonprofit, nondenominational foundation that focuses on helping the poor.

The imam's personal life has sometimes overshadowed his message of tolerance, which a spokesman for the U.S. Ismaili community says has "not been well covered" by the media.

"In the Western world, he is not as well-known, except for the British tabloid press, which will talk about his racehorses and the private life of his father," Dr. Mansoor Saleh said.

The Aga Khan repeatedly focuses on a "clash of ignorance," not a clash of cultures, that has led to the current friction between Islam and the West.

"The hope is that this visit will provide the impetus ... for the West to understand what he does and what he stands for," Saleh said.

Last year, Forbes Magazine listed the Aga Khan, who lives in the Paris suburbs, as the 10th richest royal in the world, valued at $1 billion. In a previous article, the magazine heralded him as "venture capitalist to the world," saying the Aga Khan "was early among experts in Third World development to grasp that government handouts and multilaterally funded megaprojects often foster dependence, not self-reliance, in the people they're meant to help."

Prince Karim al-Husseini became the current Aga Khan as a 20-year-old Harvard student, after his grandfather passed the title on to him and not his father, Prince Aly Khan, who was once married to the American actress Rita Hayworth.

Despite the Aga Khan's immense wealth, the imam shuns the title of "philanthropist" because he feels that the Aga Khan Foundation is part of his mandate as a religious leader.

His teachings also stress respecting other cultures and faiths, Vastani said.

"There's not enough education on both sides, and we're living in such a global place now, so learning about each other is important," she said. "That's the way the Ismaili community views it."

Dr. Liyakat Takim, who teaches Islamic studies at the University of Denver, said it is not the Aga Khan's wealthy lifestyle that draws the most criticism from fellow Muslims but his authority to interpret the Quran for Ismaili Muslims.

"Ismailis see him as the final authority in today's world," Takim said. "His word is law."

That means as a spiritual leader, the Aga Khan "is able to reinterpret" the teachings of Islam and has the authority to "nullify or supersede religious practices."

"That would include things like daily prayers," Takim said. "Ismailis see themselves firmly within the Islamic tradition but of course other Muslims have problems with that."

But for many Ismailis, the Aga Khan's role transcends that of spiritual leader. Those who feel that way include Zarifmo Aslamshoyeva, who credits his foundation with saving her life, as well as the lives of her husband and their two children.

Now an editor with CNN in Atlanta, Aslamshoyeva saw her life as a television news anchor in her native Tajikistan came crashing down after the collapse of the Soviet Union sparked a civil war in her country in 1992.

Aslamshoyeva lived in the remote, mountainous Pamir region of Tajikistan, isolated from the aid that flooded in following a lull in the fighting.

"There was aid in the capital and in the surroundings, but they could not reach us in the mountains," she said.

Pamir residents normally stockpile food for the harsh winters, but nearly everyone ran out of food in the middle of winter partly due to an influx of refugees fleeing the fighting in the capital, Dushanbe.

"At home, there was no electricity, no food. I would just sit there and look at my children," she said. Their faces were pale and thin. Without any paychecks from Moscow, many people were forced to beg on the streets.

"By then, who cares if you have an education or if you are a doctor or journalist? We all had nothing, and we were worried about our children."

It felt like the world had forgotten about her small region and their suffering, she said.

"Pamir was just a little tiny place," she said. "People know Tajikistan but not Pamir."

Despite intermittent power, television remained the only way to communicate. She says her life changed on the day she was called in to the tiny TV station to read an announcement telling residents that food from the Aga Khan Foundation had finally arrived in Pamir.

"I never heard of the Aga Khan Foundation, but I had heard of the Aga Khan," she said. Her grandmother had spoken of "the imam" in hushed tones during the Communist period.
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Since that day, Aslamshoyeva said, aid began pouring in, changing her life forever.

The Aga Khan, head of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims, arrived at Fulton County Airport today to celebrate with his Georgia followers his 50th anniversary as their leader.

A band greeted him with the Ismaili anthem and the U.S. national anthem, and a representative from Gov. Sonny Perdue's office as well as local politicians were on hand to welcome him.

Elissa Eubanks/AJC
(ENLARGE)
The Aga Khan (center) arrives at Fulton County Airport, flanked by Chris Young (right), Chief of Protocol for the State of Georgia, and Mahmoud Eboo, president of Ismaili Council for the United States.

Elissa Eubanks/AJC
(ENLARGE)
Members of the Ismaili community greet the Aga Khan at the Fulton County Airport.

Muslim leader Aga Khan arrives, will dine with Perdue

He will dine with Perdue and other guests at the Governor's Mansion Friday.

The Aga Khan is well-known not only as a leader of the Ismailis, a sect of the Shiite branch of Islam, but also as a businessman and philanthropist.

He will speak in closed session with Ismailis from around the Southeast while here and give a lecture at North Atlanta High School that will attract students and teachers from around the country in the International Baccalaureate program. The Aga Khan is known for his interest in education, sponsoring 325 schools and two universities around the world.

The Aga Khan, billionaire philanthropist and spiritual leader of 20 million Muslims worldwide, ended an eight-day tour of the U.S. on Friday in Atlanta by stressing the importance of understanding, tolerance and global citizenship in education - especially in developing countries.
His trip - which also included stops in Texas, Illinois and California - was part of the Shia Ismaili Muslim commemoration of the Golden Jubilee, which marks the Aga Khan's 50th year as imam of the religious sect.

In his speech at North Atlanta High School, he tried to raise awareness about the Aga Khan Academies, a $1 billion education initiative that will build 18 schools in 14 countries in Africa, Central and South Asia and the Middle East.

The project grew out of a need to develop well-educated, global citizens who would make a difference in their communities, the Aga Khan told the audience.

"Our Academies Program is rooted in the conviction that effective indigenous leadership will be the key to progress in the developing world, and as the pace of change accelerates, it is clear that the human mind and heart will be the central factors in determining social wealth," he said.

"Too many of those who should be the leaders of tomorrow are being left behind today. And even those students who do manage to get a good education often pursue their dreams in far off places and never go home again."

The Aga Khan, who was born and educated in Switzerland, is a Harvard-educated businessman who is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. In his capacity as imam, he is also chair of the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of private, non-denominational development agencies focused on social, cultural and economic development.

The Aga Khan Academies are an initiative of the network's Aga Khan Education Services, and under the plan, 18 schools are planned in 14 countries at a cost of about $50 million per school - a commitment of nearly $1 billion. The first school opened in Mombasa, Kenya in 2003, and others are planned in India, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Madagascar, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Tanzania and Uganda.

The academy curriculum is based on the International Baccalaureate program, which is derived from a program rooted in academics, critical thinking, and a respect and appreciation for cultural diversity.

The program is celebrating its 40th anniversary in Atlanta this week and the Aga Khan addressed the organization as its speaker for the Peterson Lecture, named for the program's first director general.

Previously rooted in Judeo-Christian communities, the Aga Khan Academies represent the first expansion of the IB curriculum into Muslim cultures.

"Squaring the particular with the global will require great care, wisdom, and even some practical field testing, to ensure that it is really possible to develop a curriculum that responds effectively to both the global and the tribal impulses," the Aga Khan said. "The people with whom we will be dealing will present different challenges than before."

To that end, there will be an emphasis on inclusion, ethics, global economics, world culture, and comparative political systems, the Aga Khan told the crowd of educators, administrators, followers and observers.

"The failure of different peoples to be able to live in peace amongst each other has been a major source of conflict," he said. "Pluralism is a value that must be taught ... As we work together to bridge the gulf between East and West, between North and South, between developing and developed economies, between urban and rural settings, we will be redefining what it means to be well educated."

The schools will educate between 750 and 1200 primary and secondary students - with one teacher for every seven pupils - and will be open to exceptional students regardless of their ability to pay. Teacher training centers will also be established ahead of the schools' openings, where local instructors will be taught the International Baccalaureate curriculum.

The 70-year-old leader - also known as Prince Karim Aga Khan IV - succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, at age 20 on July 11, 1957, becoming the community's 49th imam. Gov. Sonny Perdue also welcomed the Aga Khan to the governor's mansion on Friday, where the two met privately for lunch.

The Aga Khan in America
The Pope and the Dalai Lama got all the headlines last week, but they weren’t the only international religious leaders visiting the United States.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world’s 15 million Ismaili Muslims (the community I belong to; read my piece on the Aga Khan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his Imamat), was also here.

It was the Aga Khan’s first public visit to America in over two decades. He spent time with his followers in California, Illinois, Texas and Georgia, and met with the governors of each of those states as well.

He also gave a remarkable talk to the leaders of the International Baccalaureate program in Atlanta, where he laid out his vision for education in the developing world. In addition to Aga Khan University in Karachi and the University of Central Asia, and several hundred primary and secondary schools run by the Aga Khan Educational Services , the Aga Khan is launching eighteen elite Aga Khan Academies in countries like Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Mozambique. Each will have 750 – 1000 primary and secondary students selected by merit. The teacher-student ratio will be about seven to one, and the training of teachers will be taken extremely seriously at these institutions (an approach which will undoubtedly have a wider impact in those societies).

The purpose of the Academies is twofold: 1) To educate the next generation of merit-based leaders in the developing world; and 2) To provide a model of educational excellence in areas too often forgotten and dismissed.

I highly recommend the entire text of the talk, but here are some of the things that stood out to me:

1) Pluralism is perhaps the central challenge of our times. Here is how the Aga Khan articulated this: “Balancing the universal and the particular is an age old challenge - intellectually and practically. But it may well become an even more difficult challenge as time moves on and the planet continues to shrink. It is one thing, after all, to talk about cultural understanding when “the Other” is living across the world. It is often a different matter when the “Other” is living across the street.”

2) Pluralism is highly prized in Islam. The Aga Khan quoted multiple times from the Holy Qur’an to make this point, including this verse: “God created you from male and female and made you into communities and tribes, that you may know one another,” (Qur’an 49:13).

3) Educational institutions have a responsibility to address the challenge of pluralism directly: “Experience tells us that people are not born with the innate ability nor the wish to see the Other as an equal individual in society. Pride in one’s separate identity can be so strong that it obscures the instrinsic value of other identities. Pluralism is a value that must be taught.”

Following the legacy of his ancestors, the Imam-Caliphs of Fatimid Egypt who founded the great educational institutions of Al-Azhar and the House of Knowledge, the Aga Khan is revolutionizing education in the developing world.

And along with that, the idea of how values grounded in the Muslim tradition can contribute to modernity.

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